A Spirit Broken
by IsisRose
Summary: Two nights have passed since the night of the séance. For that select few who would remember, not much has changed. Aside from Mary’s picture and the earthquakes, everything is seemingly normal. But not all is right within the Kingdom.
1. changes

A Spirit Broken 

**_By_ _IsisRose_ **

**Chapter 1: _Changes_**

Two nights have passed since the night of the séance. For that select few who would remember, not much has changed. Aside from Mary's picture and the earthquakes, everything is seemingly normal. But not all is right within the Kingdom. Unfortunately for them, some things remain the same.

It was a cloudy Saturday morning in late October. Carrie made her way through the parking lot of Kingdom Hospital when a voice called out behind her. "Carrie, wait up!"

She turned to see a pale girl with long brown hair, about twenty years old, jogging towards her. Carrie smiled at her. "Morning. What are you doing here? It's not even noon yet."

Catching up to her, the girl gave her an _'oh-very-funny'_ look. "Well, believe it or not, I'm here to work." Carrie snickered.

"Work? You?"

"Yes, me. At least now you can't complain about me loafing around all the time."

"Or borrowing money," Carrie chimed in, happy at the prospect that she may be getting some of her money back. The girl rolled her eyes as they entered the building. They passed the security office where Otto was asleep at the monitors. Blondie gave them a curious look as they pass by.

"But doing what? You're not a med student," Carrie said calling for an elevator.

"Working down in the medical library. And I'll be helping Mrs. Powell reorganize medical records." The elevator doors opened and they walked in.

"The medical library? You mean the police are done..." Carrie trailed off at the end, as if it was too horrible even to mention.

"Yeah, they finally decided that it was a suicide." She rolled her hazy blue eyes.

"And you don't buy it?" The elevator doors opened and they stepped into the ICU.

"Well, think about it, he was an old guy and, from what I could tell, definitely not suicidal. Besides, when Bobby told Kelly what he saw that night, he said Mr. Bates was handcuffed to the chair. Does that sound like a suicide to you?"

"Not really," Carrie reluctantly admitted as her stomach begins to churn.

They turned a corner and continued down another hallway. "The weird thing is that the police didn't find any handcuffs."

"Well, maybe Bobby was wrong..." Her friend's expression turned to doubt as they stopped at the nurses' station. Her face went pallid at the thought which occurred to her. "So, what? You think he was murdered?"

Her friend sighed. "I don't know. The whole situation just doesn't add up."

"Well, either way, are you going to be okay working down there?"

Her expression turned from one of intense thought to one of amusement. "Well, I don't know, Carrie. Will you be okay working up here?" 

Carrie narrowed her eyes mockingly. "Oh, very funny." Her friend gave her a cheery smile.

"I thought so."

"Hey girls!" They turned to see Sonny and Elmer walking down the hallway towards them.

"Morning." Elmer didn't respond to the girls' greeting as he was currently occupied with hospital charts. "Elmer?" The other girl snapped her fingers in front of his face, snapping him out of his daze.

"Hmm...? I'm sorry, what?" He looked at her the way someone would look at a stranger they had met on the street as opposed to a friend.

"I said 'good morning'. Where were you? You looked about a million miles away."

Elmer looked at her in a peculiar sort of way. Almost like she was an alien or something else as equally bizarre. "Oookay... I'm sorry, who are you?"

She let out a perplexed sort of laugh, while Sonny and Carrie pondered the thought that Elmer had lost his mind. "Yeah..." She finally said after a long and awkward silence. "Okay, well, I'd better get to work before I get fired on my first day." She began to back away uncomfortably. "I'll see you later, Carr..." She walked off down the hallway, a little insulted at the fact that Elmer was acting so oddly towards her.

As she disappeared around a corner, Elmer realised that two of his friends were giving him unimpressed looks. Carrie swatted him upside the head. "What the hell was that?"

Elmer backed away in panic. "What? What did I do?"

"That was cold, man." Sonny shook his head.

"What? What was... Who was that?"

Carrie's mouth dropped. "You have got to be kidding me."

"That's Blake," Sonny said. Elmer looked at him in the same 'Close Encounters' way that he used to look at Blake. "Blake Winters? Carrie's housemate...?" Elmer shook his head slowly. Still not a clue. "You've known her for over a year now..." Sonny proded. Nothing. "You dated for, like, three weeks last November." Elmer's eyes are started to glaze over.

Carrie began to look concerned. "Elmer, did you hit your head?" She looked at the back of his head and began probing for lumps.

He pulled back, brushing Carrie's hand away from his scalp. "Stop it, I'm fine. I think..." His face twisted in confusion. "Uh, I gotta go do something." Before either of them could say another word, Elmer took off down the hall, in the same direction Blake had taken, leaving the other two to stand there, mystified.

"That boy just keeps getting weirder and weirder," Sonny concluded at last. Carrie nodded and they left to get back to work.


	2. fallen

A Spirit Broken 

**_By:_ _IsisRose_ **

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kingdom Hospital or any of its characters

**Chapter 2: _Fallen_**

Down in the Sleep Lab, all was quiet as Lona typed away at her computer. Then someone charged through the door, scaring the crap out of her. She jumped out of her chair and turned to find Elmer in a panic. "Elmer, what the...?"

"Look at me!"

She rolled her eyes. "What is it now?"

"Am I asleep? Is this all just a dream?"

She looked at him thoughtfully. "Are you feeling alright?" she asked after a moment. He collapsed into a chair and Lona sat back down.

He sighed. "I don't know, maybe I'm just stressed. Or, or maybe I'm crazy..."

"Elmer, what is going on?"

"I don't know. Two days ago, after Rickman checked out, things were fine. They were great. But all morning, I've been seeing... things..."

"Things?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Like when I was pulling into the parking lot, I thought I saw that weird ambulance, but when I looked, there was nothing there. Then, walking down to the morgue, I saw this kid in old clothes turn the corner. But when I looked, he was gone. And just now, in ICU, Carrie's hanging out with this girl that I apparently _dated_. But I've never even seen her before."

"Well, the last part I understand. This guy at the coffee shop down the road has been greeting me like we've been friends for years and I don't recognize him at all."

"How is that possible?"

"You changed the past. It's understandable that other things would have been changed as a result. So, just relax and go with it. As for the other stuff: has anyone else seen anything strange like that?"

He thought to himself. Those nurses walking across the parking lot didn't seem to notice the ambulance. And Dr. Abelson did come around the corner right after the boy turned it, and she didn't look like she'd seen anything strange. "No, I don't think so..."

"Then blame it on stress and talk to your father about taking a day off." She turned back to her computer screen.

"Yeah... yeah, that makes sense," he told himself. "I mean, I have been feeling rundown lately."

Lona typed away, pretending she was listening. "Uh huh, rundown, that's great."

He reverted instantly back to his usual self. "See, I knew you'd know what to do. You're so smart..." He got out of his chair and started to inch his way towards her. "And beautiful... sexy..."

She swiveled around in her chair and gave him an indifferent look. "Elmer, let it go." With that, she stood up and, grabbing a file off the desk, walked out of the room.

Later that day, Blake sat in the dingy medical library, typing away at the new computer on what used to be Mr. Bates' desk. She finished up what she was typing and got up to leave. On her way out, she shut off the lights. Then, suddenly, she heard a low growl behind her and froze. Turning back to the darkened room, she strained to see where the noise came from. Deciding it was only her imagination, she left to meet her friends for lunch. When she was gone, there was another growl as something large moved through the shadows.

Blake stepped off the elevator and entered the ICU, which was much more active then it was that morning. She walked over to the nurses' station, where Carrie was swamped with paperwork. The other girl looked up to see Blake walking towards her.

"Hey!" she greeted.

"Hey, are you almost done?"

Carrie struggled with the stapler as Blake watched with amusement. "Yeah... almost."

She suppressed a laugh as Carrie tried to pry a stuck staple out with a nail file. "So, where's Kelly?"

"Ummm... she's probably still up in pediatrics. Why don't you go get her while I finish up here?"

"Good idea. She probably forgot, anyway."

"Again." Blake grinned and headed back down to the elevators as Carrie continued to wrestle with the stapler.

Upstairs in pediatrics, Mona sat on the floor, rocking back and forth, focusing intently on the wall she was currently painting. Her mother sat in a chair just behind her, watching mournfully. A young nurse of about twenty-two walked towards them; her nametag read Kelly Burns. She stopped beside Mrs. Klingerman, who didn't seem to notice her, and offered her a coffee.

"Mrs. Klingerman?"

Renay snapped out of her daze and noticed the nurse beside her. "Oh, thank you, Kelly," she said softly, taking the coffee from her.

Kelly looked at her worriedly. "You've been here all night again, haven't you?" The older woman didn't respond. "Renay, you can't keep torturing yourself like this. It's not healthy."

"I know, I know. I just hate leaving her like this. And things are just so crazy at home right now, with the trial coming up next month." She sighed, her eyes getting a little teary.

"On the plus side, it looks like Stegman's close to finding himself in the psych ward," Kelly said suddenly, hoping for a reaction.

Renay looked back to Kelly a mix of shock and joy on her face. "What? Why?"

"I don't know, but it's all over the hospital." A small grin spread across Renay's face as Kelly continued. "All I heard was something about the anesthesiology report, a gun, and," she paused and continued skeptically, "something about _'minions'_... whatever that means." The grin broadened. "Anyhow, I'd say he's bound for the loony bin."

"Hey, Kel," Said a voice from the doorway. They turned to see Blake. "Oh, am I interrupting something?"

"No, we were just talking. Umm, Mrs. Klingerman, this is my housemate, Blake. Blake, this is Renay Klingerman, Mona's mom."

Renay extended a hand. "Hello."

Blake took it and smiled. "It's nice to meet you." Kelly cut back into the conversation as Renay turned her attention back to her daughter.

"So, what are you doing up here?"

"Well, it's nice to see you too, Kel."

"You know what I mean."

"Carrie sent me, we figure you forgot again."

"Forgot?" Kelly looked puzzled before realization dawned. "Oh, lunch, right. Sorry, I can't make it."

"What? Why?"

"One of the other nurses called in sick. I'm covering for her."

Blake sighed. "Alright, I guess we can do it tomorrow. I will be around, after all."

"That reminds me: how is the first day going?"

"Good. It's a little creepy down there, but it's okay."

Kelly broke into a sly grin. "Well, you'll get to see Sonny more often now that you're working here."

Blake just raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "Oh, please."

"I think he likes you."

"Yeah, and he's a friend, and after the whole Elmer fiasco, I've sworn off dating friends." Kelly just rolled her eyes. "And speaking of Elmer, he was acting so weird this morning."

Kelly laughed. "This is Elmer we're talking about."

"Yeah, but this was weirder than usual. He actually pretended like he didn't even know who I am. Can you believe that?"

"What, is he mad at you or something?"

"Maybe, but I don't know what for. We've been getting along really well lately, but for some—" Blake's sentence was cut short as someone seized her leg. She and Kelly looked down to find Mona hugging Blake's leg and Mrs. Klingerman trying to get her to let go.

"Mona! Mona, honey, let go." But Mona was completely attached.

Kelly looked on in astonishment. "This is weird. She never goes to anyone."

She attempted to help Renay as Blake tried to keep from falling over. "Umm, should I be worried?" she asked as they finally managed to pry Mona off. But she just reached out for Blake as another nurse who had come over to help ushered her away.

"I'm so sorry. I don't know what's gotten into her," Renay apologized as she followed the nurse.

They watched as they struggled to get Mona back to her room. "That was so odd," Kelly stated.

"Maybe I should go," Blake added, a bit shaken.

"Yeah, I'll see you at home. Tell Carrie I'm really sorry."

"I will."

She walked down the hall to the elevators and hit the button for one. As she stood there waiting, she heard another low growling sound like the one from earlier, downstairs. She looked down the hall to her left, but there's nothing there. She looked to her right—still nothing. She turned around and, as she did, the doors opened, causing her to jump. She was about to step into the elevator when she realized there was no elevator to step into.

Two floors down, Hook and Sonny were getting into the empty car and having a conversation, oblivious to what was going on above them. Blake heard the growling yet again. Turning to face the wall behind her, she noticed that it seemed to be coming from there. As she stared at the wall, it appeared to protrude slightly, as if it was made of rubber and someone was running their hand along the other side of it. She shook her head to clear it and focused her eyes again. The wall was normal.

Just as she breathed a sigh of relief, a hand reached out from behind the wall. Startled, she jumped back, accidentally stepping into the empty elevator shaft.

Her heart almost stopped as she felt herself falling backwards. Before she could even scream, she crashed into the roof of the elevator, causing it to lurch drastically.

Inside, there was a loud crash. Hook and Sonny were thrown off balance in the shaking car. "What the hell was that?" asked Sonny, pulling himself to his feet.

"Something fell on us," Hook stated, reaching up towards the ceiling. "Give me a hand with this panel, will you?"

Above, Blake was spread out across the top of the elevator, barely conscious. All she could see was a dark blur, but she could still hear the low growling. After a moment spent wondering where the noise continued to come from, she lost consciousness.

Everything went black for a few moments. But then Blake was suddenly awoken by the sound of howling. She sat straight up to find something was very wrong.

The shaft she had fallen into was gone. In fact, she wasn't even in the same part of the hospital. She looked around and realized she seemed to be in the Old Kingdom, where she works. But... this wasn't the Old Kingdom... at least, not the same one.

This one was rundown, as though no one had been there for years. It was dark and cold. There were spider-webs everywhere, and the floor she was sitting on had at least an inch of dirt on it. Slowly, she stood up, absentmindedly dusting her butt off.

She took a deep breath and spoke at last. "Oh... my... goddess..."


	3. into the inbetween

**A Spirit Broken **

**By: _IsisRose_**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kingdom Hospital or any of its characters

**Chapter 3: _Into The In-Between_ **

Inside the elevator car, Hook and Sonny flipped up the panel and Hook hoisted himself onto the roof of the car. There he found Blake lying, completely comatose.

"Ah, jeez..." he muttered. He quickly checked for a pulse and was relieved to find one.

Sonny, waiting impatiently in the car, shouted, "What's going on up there?"

"It's a girl," Hook replied. "She's breathing and she has a pulse, but she's out cold. Possible head trauma and spinal injury. Get Otto on the phone, would you? We're gonna need assistance." Inside the car, Sonny obediently reached for the emergency phone to call for help.

Meanwhile, in the Old Kingdom, Blake wandered down the hallway, looking around, trying to find someone, or some way out. Strange noses echoed from every corner and Blake, a little uneasy, sang under her breath in an attempt to calm herself.

"Bye, bye, baby. Don't be long... I worry about you while you're gone..."

Her voice, though low, echoed softly down the hallway. She continued to walk on, unaware that she was being watched from above. Someone was sitting on a broken pipe that hung from the ceiling; a dark figure, cloaked in shadow. His face was hard, bitter and expressionless, but his eyes shone with an intense, deranged madness.

He swung down from the pipe as Blake turned the corner. Landing on the ground with a quiet thud, he stood upright, still watching the way Blake had taken. But instead of following her, he reluctantly turned and walked through the wall to his right.

Blake continued to walk down the hallway, looking in every room, trying to find away out. She reached a door with a sign above it. The words were faded and worn, but she could just make them out: _"Pain Room."_

A chill ran down her spine as she read this out loud to herself. But something about it seemed to call to her. Just as she was about to push open the door, a sharp pain shot through her skull. For a moment, everything went dark. She felt the familiar sense of falling and she bolted upright.

Her back and sides ached, and she found herself sitting in a hospital bed.

She looked around the single, window-less room again, completely confused. She looked down at herself to find that her clothes were gone and that she was now wearing a hospital gown. An IV was stuck in her left arm and her head throbbed. She reached back to touch the back of her head and winced in pain when she hit the bandaged cut.

Then it came back to her. Being in the hall, hearing the strange noises, the hand, the elevator shaft, falling and hitting the car. It all came back in one big rush; the brief moment between hitting the car and finding herself in that weird place, however, was a blur.

Just as she was about to get out of bed, the door opened. It was Sonny. "Hey," he greeted. "You're finally awake."

"If you wanna call it that," replied Blake, groaning as a particularly sharp pain shot through her head. "Ouch..." She rubbed her head gently as he came to her bedside. "What happened?"

He pulled out a small flashlight. "You don't remember?"

"I remember falling and hitting something, but what about after I blacked out...?" He shined the light in front of her face.

"Okay, follow the light." She watched as he moved the light from side to side. "Well, you took a nasty spill. You're lucky the elevator car was only two floors down instead of the basement or something."

"Don't I know it," she mumbled to herself as he checked the back of her head.

"You're also lucky that you didn't break anything. Though you did hit your head pretty hard. Six stitches and a mild concussion." Blake winced.

"Well, not exactly how I pictured my first day at work." He laughed and she grinned. "So, can I get out of here or what?"

"Dr. Hook's on his way down, he'll let you know," Sonny replied. Just then, the door opened and Hook walked in.

"So how's the patent?" he greeted cheerfully.

"Well, she's awake and fully alert. There doesn't seem to be any memory loss, so it looks good."

"Alright there, Blake?" She nodded, Sonny's pager went off and he left the room with a final nod in Blake's direction. "You seem to be doing well," Hook continued. "No serious injuries, just a gash to the head and some bruised ribs."

"That would explain the killer migraine and the burning sensation in my sides. So can I go home?" she asked, looking up at him with anticipation.

"Actually, I would like to keep you for twenty-four hours of observation..." He saw her roll her eyes. "Just to make sure you're working fine," he explained.

He cleared his throat. "Now, about the accident. What happened to you?" She hesitated as the image of a hand reaching out of the wall immerged in her mind. Hook looked at her, concern showing on his face. "Blake?"

"I don't know, okay? The doors opened, the elevator wasn't there and..." Her brows furrowed and she trailed off.

"And?" he questioned, sensing that she was holding something back. But she didn't answer. She was lost in memories of hands and weird, creepy hallways. "Blake?"

She snapped out of her daze. "What?"

"And...?" he started for her.

"And... And then I lost my balance."

Hook studied her for a moment, knowing there was something she was holding back, but he didn't press it. "Alright, well, I think that's all for now. If you need anything, the button for the nurse is right there and I will be back to see you in the morning." She sighed in exasperation and he smiled mildly. "Goodnight."

"Bye."

Dr. Hook walked out the door, but seconds later Carrie walked in, carrying a bag. She smiled when she saw that Blake was awake and, before any words could come out, she threw the bag down on the bed and seized her in a hug. "Ah, Carrie?" Blake choked out. "Just fell down an elevator shaft, okay, Hun? You might want to let up a little." To her relief, Carrie released her.

"Sorry, it's just... you're okay!"

"Yeah, you're not getting rid of me that easily." Carrie gave her a mock scowl and snapped her fingers.

"Damn, I was so close." Blake narrowed her eyes and stuck her tongue out at her roommate. "So how you feeling?" Carrie continued, ignoring her.

"Surprisingly good. I mean, I'm not dead, so I'm okay. A little worried about my job, though."

"Well, don't be. It was an accident. Oh, and here!" She handed Blake the bag she had placed at the end of the bed. "I brought you some clothes."

Blake took the bag gratefully. "Thank you so much. You have no idea how much I was _not_ looking forward to wearing this," she said, yanking on the hospital gown.

"Oh, I think I might have an idea."

Blake pulled a tank top and a pair of pajama pants out of the bag. "So where's Kelly?" she asked, in an attempt to change the subject.

"Still upstairs. She has a break soon, though, so she should be down any minute. She almost had a heart attack when she heard what happened—What are you doing?" Carrie asked suddenly with amusement, while Blake tried to figure out how to get her arm though the sleeve of her top with an IV stuck in her arm.

"How does this frickin' thing work?" she demanded. Carrie let out a laugh and got up to help her.

"You're lucky I'm a nurse," she said as she took out the IV. Blake pulled the top over her head.

"You know, it's funny," she commented, pulling on her pants and throwing the gown into a chair across the room as Carrie replaced the IV. "I've been hearing a lot of that lately." Suddenly, the door opened again.

"Oh my god, you're alive!"

The two girls looked over to see an over-excited Kelly standing in the doorway. She rushed over to hug Blake, who dived under the covers for protection before Kelly could reach her.

"Noooo! My body can't take much more!"

"Oh, well, it's nice to see you too," Kelly stated sarcastically. Blake pulled down her blankets so that only her eyes were showing.

"Put your hands where I can see 'em." Kelly rolled her eyes, but she complied, putting her hands up in front of her. That's when Blake noticed the brown paper bag in Kelly's left hand. She sniffed the air. "Do I smell quesadillas?"

"Maybe..." Kelly responded playfully. Blake just looked at her in that _'Don't toy with me or I'll kick you'_ kind of way, and Kelly handed her the bag. "Here, I figured you'd want something decent to eat."

Blake took the bag. "As long as you don't trip out on me again."

Kelly frowned, mildly offended. "Excuse me, but when someone tells you _'One of your best friends fell down an elevator shaft'_ and the first thing that comes into your mind is _'Oh my god, she's a pancake!'_, you tend to get a little emotional." Blake held back a laugh.

"Calm down, girl. Breathe." She attacked a quesadilla. "Jeez, I've never had people worry about me like this."

"Well, I know someone who was worried about you," Said Carrie, a sly smile spreading across her face.

"Oh, Lord." Blake turned to Kelly. "Do I even wanna know?" Kelly just smiled conspiratorially. Blake scowled. "You're all against me."

Kelly sat down on the bed next to her friend. "Yes, Sonny was very concerned when he found you."

"Sonny found me? What?"

"Him and Hook were in the car you landed on." Carrie informed her.

"So? He was worried. If someone came crashing down two stories onto my head, I'd be slightly worried, too."

"Cynic…" Blake raised an eyebrow in mild irritation.

"For the last time, I do not need a personal dating service. I don't date friends and that's it. And I sure as hell don't want another disaster like with Elmer."

"Oh, persnickety! Just give him a chance, besides you and Elmer are still friends."

"I thought that to," Blake said quietly, staring at her hands.

"Oh right, you told me about that."

Another nurse stuck her head in the door. "Come on, girls. Blake needs her rest," she said chidingly before she quickly left again.

"I guess that's our cue," Carrie stated getting up off the bed, giving Blake a gentle hug. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Kelly hugged her, too. "Have fun."

"I'll try," Blake replied, rolling her eyes. She watched the two of them walk out the door, calling out after them. "Bye guys!" Then she was left alone in the little room again. She sighed and lay back down, cringing slightly in pain.

Down in the Old Kingdom, Paul entered the Pain Room. There, he found Dr. Gottreich experimenting with some sort of liquid. The older man looked up to see the boy walk into the room.

"Where the hell have you been?"

"Looking for you," Paul replied. "We've got problems."

Gottreich's eyes narrowed. "What kind of problems?" he demanded.

"I saw some girl snooping around down here."

The doctor's eyes widened in horror at the thought that _she_ might be back. "A girl! What kind of girl?"

"Calm down. It's not... _that_ girl. Just _a_ girl. Probably a patient." Gottreich visibly relaxed.

"If you find her down here again, deal with it," he said, returning to his research. "I don't want people snooping around down here just when we've finally gotten rid of that brat and her mutt."

Paul tilted his head curiously. "What do you want me to do?"

The doctor paused for a moment before answering. "Just... deal with her," he responded at last, turning back to his project. An eerie smile spread across Paul's face.

In another part of the Old Kingdom, Blake lay on the ground. She suddenly bolted upright to find herself in the by-now-familiar surroundings of the in-between world that surrounded her. She groaned miserably at the sight of the place.

"Not again..."


	4. deal with it

A Spirit Broken 

**By: _IsisRose_**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kingdom Hospital or any of its characters

**Chapter 4:_ Deal With It_ **

Down in Hook's Kingdom, Chris sat on the couch with soft music playing in the background. Hook entered and sat down on the couch next to her, clearly suffering from the effects of a long day on call. Sensing that he was worn out, Chris poured him a glass of wine.

"Thank you," he said, taking the glass gratefully.

"Rough day?"

He finished the wine in a few gulps and shook his head. "Just long... And a little strange."

"Strange?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow. "In this hospital, the word 'strange' takes on a whole new meaning. Care to clarify?"

Helping himself to more wine, Hook's brow furrowed in thought. "Have you ever heard of a girl named Blake Winters?"

"Isn't she Mr. Bates' replacement?" Chris asked. "I think Dr. James mentioned something about her."

"Yeah, that and she's also one of our newest patients."

Chris stared at him in mild surprise. "Why? What happened?"

"She took a spill down one of the elevator shafts. One guess as to which one."

She continued to look at him, now in disbelief, her mouth slightly open. "Not...?"

"Yep. Shaft two." Hook set down his glass and stood, walking across the room to the dresser. Chris frowned at his back.

"But I thought all that was over with. I mean, it could be a coincidence."

"That's what I thought," he said, pulling a clean shirt over his head. "So I asked her about what happened, but she didn't react very well."

"How so?"

"She got really quiet, a little defensive. I think she might have seen something that she isn't willing to share."

Chris tilted her head in curiosity. "What do you think she saw?"

"I don't know, but I have half a mind to get Mrs. D in here again." He sighed. "I'm gonna wait and see what happens first, though."

Down in the Old Kingdom, Blake once again wandered the halls. She was despondently searching for an exit. And for once taking his orders to heart, Paul was also wandering the halls, searching for Blake.

She came to the end of the hall and there she saw a sign with two arrows on it. Under one of the arrows, she read the words _'Pain Room'._ Remembering the door from her last visit, she followed the hallway that the arrow was pointing to. As she walked down the hallway, Paul appeared through the sign. He watched her for a moment, his lips curling into a wicked grin, before he strolled casually after her.

Not noticing him, Blake stopped in front of the doors to the Pain Room. She reached out and closed her eyes, waiting—anticipating—for something to happen. But unlike last time, she didn't wake up. She opened her eyes only to find that she remained in front of the ominous doors.

Annoyed, she pushed them open with both hands to find a pair of nasty-looking fangs no more then two inches from her face. She froze in shock. Upon closer examination, she realized that the fangs were attached to a young man. He was only a few inches taller than Blake, and, consequently, she found herself staring straight into a pair of haunting green eyes.

"Boo!"

The exclamation was practically barked at her, making her jump in surprise. She slowly backed away as he moved towards her threateningly. "What's wrong?" he asked her, a slight sneer in his voice. He snickered. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"You're not real," she said, sounding more like she was trying to convince herself than anyone else.

"Really?" he asked mockingly. "Then what am I?"

"You're a concussion-induced hallucination brought on by a severe blow to the head."

He laughed out loud. "Wow! And you came up with this all by yourself?" Blake found herself forced against a wall as Paul continued to close in on her. "Then tell me something," he requested, stopping in front of her, their bodies almost touching.

Blake pushed herself harder against the wall as he leaned in closer to her face. He brought his mouth up to hers and she could feel his ice cold breath on her lips. Her fear rose as she continued to look straight into his dark, empty eyes.

He moved his head, bringing his mouth to her ear and whispered to her. "Does this feel real to you?"

Suddenly he grabbed hold of her shoulders and, with unearthly strength, threw her down the hallway. Paul's menacing laughter filled the whole corridor as Blake landed hard on the ground ten feet away from where she had been standing. No sooner did she hit the ground than she pulled herself back to her feet and took off down the hallway, not bothering to look back at her attacker.

Paul sighed to himself as she disappeared around the corner, his voice filled with amusement. "I love it when they run." He vanished from sight.

Blake ran down a long corridor before ducking into one of the rooms and stopping to catch her breath. She looked in between the cracks of the doors, trying to see if Paul was looking for her. As there was no sign of her mysterious attacker, she relaxed, resting her head against the doors.

As she turned around to face the empty room, something rushed at her. Whatever it was, it was so fast that it was barely a blur. The force of it knocked her off-balance and she felt a burning pain below her right shoulder. Catching herself on the wall, Blake looked down to see a cut on her upper arm. Turning back, she saw Paul standing a few feet away, holding a knife.

Back in her small hospital room, Blake appeared to be fast asleep on the bed. She began to stir fitfully, and her face twisted with pain as her right arm fell over the side of the bed. A cut opened on her upper right arm, as if sliced by an invisible knife. Blood trickled down her arm and dripped down onto the floor from her fingertips.

Paul moved in front of the doors, cutting off Blake's exit. Blake, gripping her bleeding arm, saw another door across the room. She looked back at Paul, who noticed her eyeing the exit. He smirked. "Go ahead. I _dare_ you."

Despite the '_as if' _tone to his voice, she decided to make a break for it. She launched herself away from the wall and Paul disappeared. Reaching the other door, she flung it open. She entered another hallway just as Paul reappeared in front of her and grabbed her tightly around the arms.

Her mouth dropped in disbelief. "That's no fair," she said as she struggled against his grip. "You cheated!"

"Ghost," He stated simply, raising his eyebrows in a sneer. He flung her into the opposite wall and she collapsed to the floor. With the wind knocked out of her, Blake pulled herself over onto her back. Trying to catch her breath, she looked up to see Paul standing above her, knife in hand.

"Say goodbye, sweetheart," he said mockingly. He raised the knife.

Blake whimpered and, as she put her arms up over her head, a deafening roar sounded throughout the hallway. Suddenly, a large brownish blur tackled Paul to the ground, sending the knife skittering down the passageway. He rolled over, getting to his feet, only to meet the familiar snout of a certain anteater-like creature that happened to be looking at him furiously. The creature stood protectively in front of Blake, snarling at Paul from a fierce mouth full of fangs.

Paul froze. A look of actual fear is in his eyes, but there was also a palpable hatred there. "Son of a bitch!"

The creature lunged at him and he disappeared just as it would have hit him. Seeing that Paul was gone, Blake put her arms down and sat up to see what was going on. She was shocked to find a big, brown, furry thing staring at her and she slid backwards as it moved towards her.

"N... nice..." She paused, thinking for a second. "...Thingy. Stay." She hit the wall as it came even closer. It sniffed at her as she pushed her back against the wall. "Oookay..." She whimpered again as its snout came right up to her face, but she soon relaxed as it showed no sign of wanting to attack her. "This... this is... Oh man, this is odd." She lifted a shaking hand and, very cautiously, she reached out to pet its head. It seemed to enjoy this attention as she went on to scratch behind its ears. "You know," Blake observed after a moment, "you're actually kind of cute."

"Well, you're not so bad yourself," the creature stated, although its mouth never moved.

Blake jumped back away from the anteater, eyes wide in disbelief. "You can talk!"

It gave a kind of half chuckle. "Yeah, I can dance too."

"Who..." She stopped and started again. "What are you?"

He turned away from her. "Just think of me as..." He paused and began to lumber off. "A pal," he concluded after a moment. He started to disappear from sight and Blake reached desperately out after him.

"No, wait! I..." She suddenly felt the familiar sense of falling...

...And found herself once again sitting up straight in her hospital bed. This time, however, she had a souvenir. She looked down at her right arm to see the prominent cut still there, blood running freely from it.


	5. i'm not crazy

A Spirit Broken 

**By: _IsisRose_**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kingdom Hospital or any of its characters

**Chapter 5: _I'm Not Crazy_**

Paul paced uneasily in the Pain Room, scratching at the back of his head anxiously. His fingers combed through his dark curls and his jaw muscles tightened and twitch in suppressed rage as his eyes burned with hate. He stopped at one of the tables and picked up a beaker filled with an odd green mixture. He examined it for a moment and then, without warning, whipped it across the room; the goo erupted into a large, slimy green blotch as the beaker shattered against the opposite wall. _"DAMN IT!"_

"What the hell is going on in here?" a familiar voice demanded from behind him. Paul's frustrated motions froze and he turned to see Dr. Gottreich standing in the doorway, looking livid. The boy moved his eyes away to stare down at the floor.

"Well?" the doctor questioned. Paul wisely kept his eyes on the floor, not daring to meet Gottreich's gaze, and found that his tongue seemed unable to function. "Did you find the girl?"

"Yeah..." he admited dully, eyes still down.

"_And?"_

Paul opened his mouth to speak, but his voice caught in his throat, not wanting to break the disappointing news to the ill-tempered doctor. "Have you taken care of her?" Gottreich demanded, clearly losing his patience. Paul took a deep breath.

"She got away," he muttered.

"What?" Furious, Gottreich came walking into the room towards his young accomplice. "You mean to tell me that you were overpowered by a little girl?"

"No..." Paul finally lifted his eyes to look at the old man; his voice was calm, but full of rage. "She had help."

"What happened?"

"I had her. I had her right there, she was as good as dead..." A small smirk appeared on Paul's face as he remembered the moment and the look in Blake's eyes. Then, as quickly as the smirk appeared, it faded and was replaced by a look of loathing. "And then _he_ showed up."

"Who?"

"That overgrown, flea-ridden, face-stealing son of a bitch!" He spun around, violently kicking over a table, sending a row of beakers and test tubes crashing to the floor. "What the hell is he doing lurking around down here?" He turned on Gottreich, pointing an accusing finger at him. "You said he was gone for good!"

Gottreich grabbed hold of Paul's raised hand and twisted it around excruciatingly, bringing him to his knees. The boy groaned and fought the urge to yell out in pain. "Calm yourself, boy," the doctor ordered. He gave his arm a particularly sharp yank and Paul gritted his teeth, fighting the sting. "How many times must I tell you to control your anger?" The doctor pulled harder, not showing any mercy until Paul finally let out the cry he had tried so hard to hold back.

After being released, Paul got to his feet, rubbing his shoulder. "You don't seem too irked about all this," he commented grudgingly.

"Why should I?" The doctor moved around the upset table, the broken shards of glass cracking under his feet. He sat in a nearby chair and nonchalantly propped his feet up. "There is nothing he can do now."

"That's what you said last time."

Gottreich sat straight up in his chair and pounded a pale fist on the table. "ENOUGH!"

He stood, calming himself as Paul's gaze fell once again to the floor. "Those souls will be mine. The pieces are already in place and Anubis is of no concern."

"But he knows we're still here, and that girl—"

"We will take care of the girl. And as for that meddling rodent, he knows nothing of what we are doing, so we must simply continue to operate under his radar. Which means no going after him." Paul looked up in protest, but Gottreich continued. "I mean it, Paul! Leave it alone. There will be time enough to deal with him later, I assure you." Paul sighed, but nodded in reluctant agreement. "In the meantime, you can occupy your time with the girl. I still want her taken care of." Gottreich resumed his previous position in his seat and Paul, clearly pissed, faded from sight.

Blake stood in front of the sink in her tiny hospital bathroom. She wet a cloth and dabbed it over her bloody arm, wincing in pain as she inspected the shallow cut. She rolled her eyes and scoffed to herself. "Why is it always the little ones that bleed the most?"

Despite all the blood, the cut wasn't actually that deep, really just a minor flesh wound. Cleaning up the water around the sink, she glanced up at the mirror to see her own big blue eyes staring back at her anxiously. "I'm not crazy," she stated indignantly to her reflection. It merely stared back at her, eyes full of disbelief. "Okay, maybe I am."

She threw down the cloth in annoyance and walked out of the small bathroom. "After all, I am talking to myself," she mumbled, before stopping short at the sight of her vacant hospital bed. The blankets lay in a misleadingly innocent mound in the center. She cringed at the thought of going back to sleep and possibly finding herself back there in Creepy Land with psycho boy.

She looked back down at the cut on her arm. The blood had stopped running from it and, apparently coming to a decision, she reached down to the IV taped to her wrist and carefully pulled it out. She walked to the door of her room and looked around outside. No one was out in the halls and the lone nurse supposedly manning the small station seemed to have fallen asleep in her chair. So, as if on a mission, Blake walked straight down the hallway to the elevators, though she hesitated as she reached out to call for one. Thinking twice, she walked a little further down the hall and entered through a doorway that read _'stairs'_.

Blake descended the cold staircase until she reached the basement. She left the stairs and as she walked the ominous, vacant halls, she is reminded of the dreams. That weird place, the creepy old hospital she keeps visiting in her mind—it had looked almost exactly like this. But a small afterthought nagged at the back of her brain. _Had it all just been in her mind or was it real?_

Blake stepped into her small office, or at least what had been her office for all of four hours before she had her accident. She walked over to the desk, picked up a book bag from beside her chair and returned to her room, careful not to wake the sleeping nurse. Once inside she pulled a sketchbook out of her bag and sat down onto the mess of blankets that covered her bed. Opening to a new page she picked up a pencil and began to draw.


	6. Released

**A Spirit Broken** _By:_ IsisRose 

**Chapter 6: _Released _**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hospital or Mort Rainy they belong to the brilliant Stephen King.

**A/N:** Special thanks to my beta she's a doll and a fantastic writer I recommend her work to any one. Thanks for the reviews and to **niichan626 **sorry I haven't been updating I've been busy with school and I would just like to say that I have absolutely no intention of discontinuing this story. I have worked too hard on the plot and changed it way too many times to just give up now, trust me it will be finished.

Paul was laying in the eerie green glow of the tank that had taken his life, thinking. He closed his eyes and floated in the warm water surrounding him as he recharged. Paul both liked and hated his time in the tank; he liked it because it gave him time to think, to clear his head. It was also the only place in the in-between where he could get away from damn _Gottreich_.

He hated it because it made him feel exposed. Not because of the fact that he was floating in a glass tank stark naked—he definitely wasn't shy—but because being in the tank left him trapped. In there he was virtually powerless, _vulnerable_. It also gave him a weird sense of déjà-vu... like a bad memory that he couldn't quite remember.

But for the time being that was locked away somewhere in the back of his mind. He had something else to think about now. A dark haired, blue-eyed girl with a face that was strangely familiar. By now Paul was accustomed to the hazy spots in his memory and had grown used to pushing that nagging sense of familiarity to the back of his mind. But there was something about this girl, as though he knew her from somewhere, and he just couldn't figure out where.

As he lay pondering over the situation, he could feel the energy from the tank pulsing through his body, finally returning him to his full strength. As his strength returned, he felt the tank's hold on him loosen and, as soon as it let go completely, he faded from inside.

Blake continued to sit on the hospital bed, sketching away, oblivious to the time. Occasionally, she would set her pencil down as she erased a part she didn't like. Her hands were black from smudging and she had a dark mark on her chin from where she had absently scratched it earlier.

The door opened and Kelly poked her head inside. "Morning," she greeted cheerfully as she entered the room, bearing a cup of coffee in each hand.

Blake looked up from her sketch and smiled. "Hey, you're here early."

"Early?" Kelly giggled. "Blake, it's almost eleven."

"What?" she asked in disbelief, turning to the clock. Lo and behold, it read 10:48.

"Here," Kelly said, holding out one of the coffee cups. "Brought you a little pick-me-up."

"Thanks," Blake replied, accepting it.

"You seem to be working hard," Kelly remarked as she noticed the sketchbook and Blake's graphite-smudged hands.

"Um-hmm." She nodded, mouth still full of coffee.

"Can I see?" Kelly asked innocently, leaning forward to get a better view.

"No." Blake quickly snapped the book shut and Kelly gave her a curious look. "It's… not finished."

"Riiight, sure. Well, you might wanna go wash up, Hook'll be up to see you in a minute… and what the hell happened to your IV?"

Blake smiled, trying to look innocent. "Umm, I took it out," she answered casually, using her cutesy, _I-just-fell-down-an-elevator-shaft-oh-woe-is-me_ voice, then getting up and walking to the washroom.

"Why?" her friend demanded.

"Because it was bothering me," she stated matter-of-factly as she washed her hands, and reentered the room, shaking them dry. "What?" she asked Kelly flatly, noticing the deeply amused expression she was wearing.

"That's very Mort Rainy," Kelly snorted and Blake rolled her eyes as she noticed what she was doing.

"Oh, shut up."

At that moment, Dr. Hook walked in, smiling as usual. "Good morning," he greeted, not looking up from his charts.

"Morning, Dr. Hook," both girls responded at the same time, causing Hook to glance up at them. The girls just grinned at his reaction.

"I think I'll just wait outside," Kelly said, casually making her way towards the door.

"So, Blake. How are you feeling this morning?" Hook asked brightly as the door shut behind Kelly.

"Can't complain," she stated, propping herself up on the side of the bed, one foot tucked under her with the other hanging over the side. "I mean, if you ignore the fact that my head hurts, my sides hurt, and I may be out of a job, I'm just peachy."

Hook just chuckled as he pulled up a chair and sat next to the bed. "Well, I don't think you have to worry about your job. But I do have some questions about your injuries. Have you been experiencing any dizziness?" Blake shook her head. "Vomiting?" She shook again. "Hallucinations?" Blake froze for a split-second before answering.

"No, I'm all good," she responded, but it seemed to be spoken a little too quickly for Hook's liking.

There was a pause while he watched her carefully for a few seconds, but she gave no sign that would confirm his suspicions. "Good," Hook commented at last, but then he frowned at her again. "Where is your IV?"

"It was bothering me, I took it out."

"Blake, you shouldn't—"

"I know, I know," she cut him off. "Kelly already gave me the third degree." Getting impatient, she began nervously twirling her pencil.

"You're an artist?" he asked randomly after a moment, noticing the pencil and then observing the fact that she had a sketchbook sitting nearby, and making a few notes.

"Kind of."

"That's a good hobby. Okay." He tore off a small prescription form. "This is for a mild painkiller, take them twice a day. Come see me in a week, I'll take the stitches out, and if you experience any additional pain, you know where to find me." She reached out for the prescription, but before she could bring her arm away, he grabbed hold of her wrist and turned it slightly to reveal the cut on her arm. "When did this happen?"

"Oh. Uh, last night." She blew it off, but he stood to take a better look at it. "It's just a scratch, really. It's nothing."

"Well, it doesn't appear to be too serious." He looked up at her. "How did you say this happened?"

"Umm, I caught my arm on my IV stand," she clarified quickly. "Yeah, that's why I took it out." Hook just looked at her speculatively a moment before giving a sigh.

"Okay, well, I think you can handle this part yourself." Hook held out a clipboard and a pen to her. "Sign here…" She scribbled down her signature. "And initial here." She did what he said and handed him back his pen. "And you are officially released," he concluded.

"Thank God," she replied, getting up from the bed. "Thanks, Doc."

"You're welcome," he responded, heading towards the door. "And remember, if it—"

"Gets any worse, I know where to find you. I know."

Hook smiled. "Just checking." Kelly entered the room as he left.

"So, what's the what?" she asked.

"I'm gonna live and I'm allowed to go home," Blake stated simply, picking up the bag of clothes Carrie had brought the night before as she wandered into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

"Good, I'll drive you home. But I want to stop off and see Carrie, and check the schedule for this weekend before we go."

"Don't you have to work tonight?"

"No, I worked a double-shift last night. Besides, I didn't want you walking home."

"Aww." Kelly looked over to see Blake walking across the room, changed. "You do care." She pulled her hair back before shoving her book, pencil case, and the bag of clothes into her book bag.

"Come on, you moron," Kelly said, grinning as they left the room.

In the ICU nurses station, Carrie sat with her back to her computer, looking through some files. She didn't notice at all when her computer turned itself on, and she didn't notice the malevolent apparition standing beside her or the fact that he was using the high back of her chair as an armrest.

The computer began spontaneously bringing up recent patient files, and Paul grew more and more irritated at the fact that he wasn't finding what he was looking for. Coming to the end of his search, Paul balled his fists in frustration, a low growl emanating from the back of his throat. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, refraining himself from ripping the computer apart. He never was good with machines.

As he opened his eyes, the computer shut off. "Guess I'll just have to do this the old-fashioned way," he muttered dully to himself. He was on the verge of fading back to the in-between, but he paused at the sound of laughing behind him. Two girls were coming down the hallway, talking, and he instantly recognized one of those voices. As he turned, he saw Blake with Kelly and smirked to himself. "Huh. That's convenient."

"Well, well, well," Carrie commented as the girls stopped in front of her. "Look what they let out." Blake just rolled her eyes at her.

"Very funny."

Carrie smiled at the _très drole_ tone of Blake's reply. "Going home?" she asked.

"Yup. Finally. Good thing, too, I can't get any sleep in this place."

Paul's brow furrowed with impatience. "_Yeah, yeah, yeah, quit the yakkin' and give me something I can use!"_

"Carr? Can you pass me the roster?" Kelly asked, leaning over the counter to grab a pen.

"Sure." Carrie swiveled around in her chair and grabbed one of the clipboards. While doing so, she unknowingly passed her arm through Paul, who jumped back a little bit at the contact.

"_Hey lady, personal space…" _

Carrie shuddered as she pulled the schedule towards her. "Do you guys find it cold in here?"

The other two just shook their heads as she passed the clipboard over. "So when are you off?" Kelly asked Carrie as she scribbled down days and times in handwriting that no one could possibly understand.

"Three," Carrie replied. Blake opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by someone calling her name from down the hall.

"Miss Winters?"

The girls turned to see Dr. James walking down the hall towards them. "Dr. James," Blake answered with a sudden smile that clearly said he was the last person she wanted to run into at that particular moment. "Good morning."

"I see you're feeling better," Dr. James observed with his usual pleasant grin.

"Yeah."

"I hope you'll be back to work with us soon. Mrs. Powell is anxious to get started with the reorganization." This prompted a real smile from Blake, but Paul began to shift impatiently before walking through the counter and circling Kelly a few times.

"Yeah, I'll probably be back in a couple days," Blake replied, causing her roommates to glare at her.

"Excellent, excellent," Dr. James beamed. "I hope to see you then."

Blake nodded and he turned to leave, but then turned back, handing her a 'Morning Air' button, grinning widely. Blake's original half-smile returned. "Um… Thanks." As Dr. James walked away, whistling happily to himself, Carrie took the button out of Blake's still-open hand and tossed it into a box full of them under the desk.

"A couple days?" Kelly demanded, raising an inquiring eyebrow as Paul moved invisibly over to Blake.

"What? I'm fine and I need the money."

"Blake…" Carrie began to argue, but stopped when Blake gave her a fierce _'don't argue with me'_ look.

"Don't even bother," Kelly commented, shaking her head.

As Carrie and Kelly began a conversation involving hospital stuff that Blake didn't much understand, she suddenly froze. A peculiar feeling came over her; it was the distinct feeling of being watched. She became even more uneasy as Paul closed the gap between them, circling her like a vulture.

A cold chill ran up her spine, the hair on the back of her neck stood up, and goose bumps broke out over her entire body. Paul stopped in front of her and cocked his head to the side, studying her face._ "Blake Winters," _he repeated her name, almost mockingly, in a voice she couldn't hear. _"Why do you haunt me?"_ He smirked as she visibly shuddered.

"Hey, Kel?" Blake asked, trying to sound casual. "Can, ah, can we take off?"

"Yeah, sure. See you later, Carrie."

"Bye guys." Carrie called after them as they left the hospital. Kelly made an attempt to wave good-bye, but Blake yanked her on towards the parking lot.

Blake sighed in relief as soon as she stepped outside. Even so, that didn't stop her from dragging Kelly to the car as quickly as she could. Paul sat on the hood of a silver Sunfire and watched as they drove away from the Kingdom. He would have followed, but projecting himself beyond the hospital parking lot took too much of his energy, and he was not about to go lay in that tank twice in one day.

Across town, in a small and decidedly unkempt apartment, an alarm clock blared for the fifth time that morning. The occupant of the bed beside it, who was buried quite contently under his covers, reached out and felt around for the clock. After a moment, the room went silent again and then a groan came from under the blankets.

Elmer rolled over onto his back and threw the blankets off, exposing his head and bare chest to the cool air of the apartment. He knew he had to get up and he really didn't want to, but it had to happen sometime. So, he reluctantly crawled out of the warmth of his bed and made his way towards the bathroom.

He had decided to take Lona's advice the day before and had gotten the day off. He had to go back in for 2 am, but it was well worth it. That had been the first full night sleep he had gotten in over a month. In fact, this was the longest he'd been in his apartment in almost a week.

After a quick shower, Elmer reentered his bedroom, drying his hair. He walked over to the dresser and sifted through a pile of junk before finding his glasses. As he put them on, something caught his eye. It was a picture, but he'd never seen it before.

It was him on his couch with Blake, the girl from the day before. It was weird, they looked very close, but he didn't remember it ever being taken. He picked it up for a closer inspection when something else caught his eye, something that had been under the picture.

He picked it up. It was a napkin from 'Shooie's', a nightclub that was about a block away, but there was something scribbled on it. It was a little cartoon, which looked suspiciously like Elmer, but it had a little noose around its neck and it appeared to be dangling comically.

Elmer stifled a little laugh; the picture was amusing, albeit slightly disturbing. He had no idea where it came from or why he was keeping it. He tried to make out the signature, but it was too small and scrunched together. 

Shrugging it off, he crumpled up the napkin and held it over the garbage can, but he paused just as he was about to drop it. For some reason, he couldn't let it go. Smoothing it out, he tossed it back onto the dresser with the photo and walked to the closet to get dressed.


End file.
